Boat turning cradle



7, 1957 M. L. HENNEY 2,804,217

BOAT TURNING CRADLE Filed Nov. 14, 1955 5 /3 INVENTOR lilac Leeiinnqy United States Patent 6 2,804,217 v BOAT TURNING CRADLE Mac Lee Henney, Columbus, Ohio Application November 14, 1955, Serial No. 546,343 8 Claims. (Cl. 2141) This invention relates to an improved frame structure adapted for supporting, turning and otherwise manipulating small boats and the like, a general object of the invention is to provide a simple, readily applied, and improved frame structure of this kind so formed as to enable a boat joined therewith to be readily turned, often by the efforts of a single operator, in assuming positions providing convenient access to all surfaces of the boat hull, whereby to facilitate cleaning, painting, repairing, boat transference from a trailer vehicle to the frame structure and to the performance of various other operations in the use and upkeep of small boats.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this character wherein spaced rocker frames are employed and formed so that the same are capable of being readily attached to the hull of a boat in relatively longitudinally spaced order thereon, the construction of the frames and their manner of attachment to a boat being such as to enable the same to be used advantageously 1n the transference of the boat from a trailer vehicle to the frames, and, following such transference, the manipulation of the boat to invert or otherwise position the same, so that all surfaces and parts thereof will be conveniently accessible.

A further object is to provide tiltable, boat-supporting rames which are formed to be disposed transversely of the boat hull in longitudinally spaced positions thereon, and wherein the frames are maintained against relative longitudinal separation by flexible tie means joined there- Wlt A still further object is to provide cradle frames for use in the capacity set forth, wherein each frame includes a boxing composed of a horizontal, longitudinally extending, seating rail engaging the bottom of an associated boat and a coextensive, duplicative and parallel top rail, the latter extending transversely of and engaging the upper surfaces of the boat, the two rails being united by side bars disposed in confining engagement with the sides of the boat, the said rails and bars of the boxing serving to provide a frame-formed opening in which an associated boat is adapted to be positioned for invertible or tiltable support.

An additional object is to provide a rockable boat.- cradling frame including a body having a horizontal chord member and rigid depending, brace-carried, runner elements, the latter including a flat, centrally disposed region providing stable support on a fiat base surface for a frame-mounted boat, the flat regions of the runner elements terminating in upwardly directed, arcuate continuations about which the frame may be rocked when a boat is to be inverted or turned on its side, or otherwise manipulated. I

A further understanding of the nature and construction of the apparatus forming the present invention may be obtained by referring to the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a boat disclosing 2,804,217 Patented Aug. 27, 1957 the present invention operathe rocking frames forming tively arranged therein;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view disclosing the structure when rocked to a position in which the boat held thereby is disposed on its side, and disclosing in broken lines a rocker frame base as detached from its original position, shown in full lines, and shifted to the opposite or top side of the boat;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rocker frames with a boat removed therefrom;

Fig. 5 is a detail transverse sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken through one of the side bars of the frame structure on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is also a transverse sectional view, the plane thereof being indicated approximately by the line '77 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, my improved boat cradle is formed to provide a pair of frames which are designated in their entirety at A. These frames are adapted to be secured to a boat B in a manner causing the same to extend transversely of the boat at appropriate longitudinally spaced positions thereon, and which minimize undue sagging or bowing stresses in the supported boat. The construction of the frames is such as to provide for the stable support of the boat in elevated positions above the ground, a floor, or other base surface, and yet to admit of rolling movement on the part thereof to cause the same to be fully inverted or to lie on its side in a substantially upright position. The frames, above the rocker base portions C thereof, are formed with retaining boxings D for securely holding a boat positioned thereon against accidental release, or other relative movement, so that the boat may roll or rock unitarily with corresponding motion of the frames in assuming desired positions admitting of full access thereto, the construction enabling the hull of a boat so mounted to be manipulated to desired positions in most instances by a single operator.

To these and other ends, which will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereafter, each of the cradle or supporting frames A comprises a rocker base C in the form thereof illustrated, a normally horizontally and centrally disposed, metallic chord member 10. Secured to the ends of the bar, by welding or otherwise, are the outer ends of a pair of transversely spaced runners 11. Relatively spaced, downwardly and outwardly diverging pairs of radially disposed braces 12 have their upper and inner ends rigidly united with the chord members It and their lower and outer ends with the runners 11. Also, the runners 11 are rigidly united in their relatively spaced order by transversely and horizontally disposed spacers 12a.

Each base C, when viewed from an end thereof, as in Fig. 1, is substantially triangular in form, and when viewed from its side, as in Fig. 2, possesses substantially the configuration of asecant segment. In this instance, however, the lower, base-engaging, central region 13 of the runners 11 is formed so as to be flat and horizontal. This is done so that the bases C will be stable and restrained against casual rocking motion when normally positioned,.as in Fig. 2, on a base surface E. Beyond the region 13, and at both sides of each frame, the runners, as indicated at 14, are arcuate, the same being developed about a center of gravity of the combined frame and boat assembly. Also, the braces 12 are disposed to extend in radial order with respect to this center.

Formed for detachable connection with each rocker base C is the detachable boxing D for receiving and ends of the bars 17 and the rails 15 and 16 to produce 7 a rigid. more or less rectangular boxing for the secure confinement and support of a boat hull positionedin the openings 18 defined thereby. The edge portions of the rails 15 and 16 and the bars 17 disposed for engagement with surfaces of the boat hull may be suitably V padded, as indicated at 19, to protect the hull from injury through rubbing contact with the boxing edges. Also, the rails and 16 have their boat-contactingsurfaces shaped to conform approximately with the configuration of adjoining boat surfaces.

To removably join either of the rails 15 and 16 with an I associated rocker base, the chord member 10 of each base is formed with transversely spaced, apertured, upstanding ears 20. Detachable bolts 21 or the like pass through the apertures of the ears 20 and through aligned openings provided in either of the rails 15 and 16. The threaded ends of the bolts carry binding nuts which when removed enable the bolts 21 to be withdrawn from the apertures of the ears 20 to separate the boxing D from its associated base unit C. By this construction, and as indicated in Fig. 3, the rocker base may be changed in position from one side of the boxing D to the other. When the boxing is upright it is stable and balanced, thus enabling the rocker base associated therewith to have its operating position transferred with convenience.

Each of the side bars 17 of the boxing D may be formed to comprise a pair of spaced parallel straps 22.

Spacing blocks 24, containing inwardly facing pads or cushions 25, are held by bolts 26 between the straps 22, the pads or cushions engaging the outer surfaces of the side walls 27 of the boat hull to hold the latter against lateral motion relative to the rocker frames and to protect the sides of the boat from being marred or scratched by the boxing.

In view of the foregoing, it will be manifestthat the present invention provides novel cradle frames upon which small watercraft may be positioned and secured. The frames are strong but light in weight, so that they may be readily handled and positioned to receive a boa-t thereon through the efforts usually of but one man. The spaced frames A are joined by the use of ties, such as the horizontally disposed crossed chains or cables 28, here shown as being disposed immediately beneath the bottom of the boat. These chains, or other equivalent ties, serve to hold the frames together in fixed or definite relation and against accidental separation. Also, by using the fiat central portions 13 of the frame runners 11, said frames are normally restrained against undue rocking movement, permitting operations to be performed on a boat when it is normally positioned in the stable manner shown in Fig. 2. However, when it is required to position the boat in an inverted or in sometimes an upright manner, so that the same is disposed on its edge or side with the bottom thereof facing upwardly or. the operator may through applying rocking forces against one side or the other of the assembly, cause the latter to tilt or roll the same laterally. When in an upright position it will be noted that the lower ends of the rails 15 and 16 rest on abase surface E in stable, tilt-resisting position. Such variations in position enable all surfaces of the boat to be conveniently reached by the operator, often when the operator stands erect in performing necessary tasks.

The frames also enable a boat to be conveniently transferred thereto from a trailer vehicle of the type employed in transporting boats over vehicular highways. By reason of the separability of the frames the same may be appropriately placed in supporting relation to a boat as it is being removed from or positioned on a trailer ve- 4 hicle, thereby enabling a formerly difficult and laborious task to be readily carried out.

It'will be understood, however, that the particular embodiment of the invention herein defined is exemplary rather than definitive in character, and may be modified within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A boat cradle comprising: a pair of separable rocker frames adapted to be mounted in longitudinally spaced order on a boat hull, each of said frames embodying a rocker base and a detachable boat-receiving boxing, the latter including a horizontal boat-seating, bottom rail disposed for engagement with and extending transversely of the bottom of the boat hull, there being a boat-holding top rail arranged in spaced parallel order with the seating rail for engagement with the upper edges of the boat hull and rigid connecting bars joined at the ends thereof with said rails and disposed at the sides of the boat hull;

and detachable tie means for retaining the spaced order of said frames.

2. Boat-cradling means as defined in claim 1, and

wherein each rocker base includes a horizontal chord rail;

and means detachably uniting the chord rail with either of said boxing rails in immediately adjoining coextensive relationship therewith.

3. A boat cradle as defined in claim :1, and wherein each of said rocker bases is formed with a horizontal chord rail from which downwardly diverging radially disposed braces depend, and arcuate, base-engaging, runner elements carried by the outer and lower ends of said braces.

r 4. A boat cradle as defined in claim '1, and wherein each of said rocker frames is formed to include a horizontal chord rail from which depends rigid, downwardly diverging and radially disposed braces, there being arcuate runner elements carried by the outer and lower ends of said braces, said runner elements midway of their length being formed with flat, horizontally extending, parallel, base-forming portions, which terminate in arcuate, up-

Wardly converging continuations, the upper and outer ends of the continuations being rigidly joined with the opposite end of the chord rail; and transversely extending brace elements disposed between said runner elements.

5. Boat-cradling apparatus comprising a pair of relatively separable rocker frames, each of said frames ineluding a rocker-type base unit provided at the top thereof with a chord rail for the support of the bottom of a boat hull resting on said frames; a boxing forminga part of each of said frames, said boxing including top and bottom rails; means for-detachably joining either of said top and bottom rails of said boxing with the 'QhlOfd rail of said base unit; rigid side bars uniting said boxing rails at each side of a boat hull disposed between the boxing rails; and tie means holding said frames in definitely spaced longitudinal order on an associated boat hull. L

6. Boat-cradling apparatus as defined in claim 5, and wherein the top and bottom rails and the side bars of said boxing are padded for contact with adjoining surfaces of a boat hull.

7. Boat-cradling apparatus as defined in claim 5, and wherein said tie means are composed of flexible elements detachably' united with the spaced base units of said frames.

8. Boat-cradling means as defined in claim 5, and wherein said side bars include spaced parallel straps joined at their ends with the sides of said rails, and padded blocks arranged between said straps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES lf'ATENTS 1,201,358 Schmitt Oct. 17, 1916 1,288,138 Nicoson Dec. 17, 1918 1,453,666, Franovich May 1, 1923 2,613,821 Howard et a1. Oct. 14, 1952 

